A meeting on Papilloma Viruses will be held from September 15-19, 1982 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This will be the first sizable conference devoted exclusively to the Papilloma viruses, their interaction with epithelial cells, and their clinical and veterinary manifestations. Until recently, few researchers studied the papilloma viruses because they could not be propagated in cell culture. However, most of the eight known types of human papilloma viruses, the five bovine types, and Shope (cottontail rabbit) papilloma virus have recently been cloned in bacterial vectors by taking advantage of recombinant DNA technologies. This has permitted the preparation of homogenous and sizable amounts of material for detailed molecular characterization including restriction mappingh, DNA sequencing, identification of viral RNA transcripts, and use of papilloma virus genomes as cloning vectors for eukaryotic cells. Research on viral growth in and transformation of epithelial cell cultures is also developing, and a great deal of information has accumulated recently on the correlation of various viral types with specific human and animal diseases of the epithelium, the role of the host immune system in viral growth or repression, and the progression of papillomas to malignant carcinomas. With these rapid advances, a growing number of molecular geneticists and cell biologists, as well as dermatologists, have been attracted to research on the papilloma viruses. An international conference is most timely to exchange rcent information and new ideas for future experimentation, to establish collaborative arrangements, and to develop a spirit of cooperation among established and new investigators in the field.